“Is that supposed to mean something?”
“Like I said, I’m tired of going around and around with you.” I flicked over his shoulder to the clock. “You’ll see what I mean soon enough.”
Sidestepping him, I walked out of the ballroom and through the front door. The gates were always left open, but guards encircled the fence, double the presence than there were a week ago.
I posted up to wait. I told them to arrive at nine thirty on the dot. If they were the punctual type, they’d top the hill in the next three minutes.
The cars rolled up in two.
“You can let them in,” I told the guards. “They’re tonight’s entertainment.”
We went through the process of stating names and checking IDs, and finally they were let through. I hurried up the path, my surprise falling in line behind me.
“Do you need anything before you go on?”
“No, Miss Adler,” said Mr. Joseph, the man I spoke to on the phone. “Give us ten minutes to change and we’ll be ready for your introduction.”
“So fast? Wow. That’s why you’re the professionals,” I said. “You go on in eleven.”
I took them up the back way into the room where they’d get ready. “After you’re changed, we’ll enter through the ballroom’s back door and I’ll announce you. This will be great. Everyone’s going to be so excited.”
“We’re excited,” Joseph replied. “Every three years, you all step onto our tiny patch of rock and shake things up. It’s an honor to be a part of your event.”
I shook his hand. “Trust me. The honor is all mine.”
Stepping out, I gave them privacy to change and counted down the clock the entire time.
“Ready.”
I faced them, seeing the group in all its glory.
“Perfect.”
We were a silent troop marching through the halls. I let us in through the back just as Purely Pink wrapped up their first set. Everything and everyone was on time today. Rarely did good fortune smile on me.
“Fan out,” I said. “A few of you have the stage and the rest can interact with the audience. I made sure you had enough room.”
Nodding, they passed around their equipment and sorted themselves out. Some went to the left, the others moved to the right, and the rest stayed put to join me on stage.
Raucous cheering sounded my cue.
“Thank you, everyone,” Cari Max said. “We’re taking a short break, but we’ll be back in thirty.”
I high-fived the girls on their way down and took their place. “Fellow captives, are we having fun tonight?” Whoops and claps were my answer. “What would you say if I told you there’s more?”
We were a small group, but dang could we work up noise to blow you away. Everyone stomped, cheered, and shouted for me to bring it on.
“I have a very special treat,” I continued. “Wonderland is a world of time-telling rabbits, flamingo mallets, and fish footmen. If we’re emulating a land of fantasy and adventure, it’s only right we have a little whimsy of our own.” I threw out my hands. “Joining us for the first time is the famous, prize-winning Citrine Troupe. The cove’s first, oldest, and only band of acrobatic clowns!”
The troupe streamed out from behind the stage, twisting, flipping, and cartwheeling to their cheering audience. At his assigned front-row-and-center table, Carter shot to his feet.
“Thank you for standing up, baby.” I pointed to the wide-eyed, stark white King of Hearts. “I’d like to take this moment to thank my fiancé-to-be. You keep me on my toes, Carter. Remind me every day to never give up or give in. I’m so excited for our life together because I know every day will be just. Like. This.
“Troupe,” I cooed. “Get in close with my hubby. I want us to take a picture.”
The clowns descended on him. Carter tripped over his chair trying to get away. He fell hard, crash echoing through the hall, and good friends they were, Nathan helped him up while Preston attempted to hold the troupe back.
“Wait, hold up.”
“Don’t be shy, honey,” I spoke over him. “Just one picture.”
Surrounding him, one of the clowns went to put an arm around him and Carter spun fit to put a ballerina to shame. Stumbling over his feet, Carter got free and broke into an all-out sprint.
“Goodness,” I said as he escaped out the door. “He must really need to go. Don’t mind us, everyone. Dance. Have fun. Keep the party going.”
They were only too happy to. Our stand-in mix hit the speakers and everyone flowed onto the dance floor as the clowns began their performance. It was all a blur of color and noise around me. I dropped the mic and marched off the stage, setting on Carter’s trail.
“Fuck!”
The shout bounced through the empty hall. Picking up speed, I headed in its direction and jerked when a screech soon followed it.
Carter burst out onto the patio. He streaked out of sight, and then abruptly returned into view, holding a lawn chair aloft. He threw it with a roar, and the clang as it collided with the metal pool railing rattled my bones.
“Carter!”
He spun on me—frosty blues melting in raging, darkening fire. His chest heaved, ragged pants wracked his body and spewed bloody spittle from his mouth. You would’ve thought the clowns had taken him out back and jumped him. “I told you in confidence! You swore you would never tell!”
“You swore we’d be best friends forever, so I guess we’re both full of shit!”
“You went too far!”
My eyes bugged. “I went too far?! You lied to my parents and blackmailed me, but clowns are too far?!”
“Arrrgh!”
I screamed as another chair went whizzing over my head.
“Why are we doing this, Belle?! All I wanted was for you to tell the truth!” Carter reached out, hands clawed and grasping like he wanted to grab and shake me. “There was a man in the woods that day. He attacked us. He did this to me!” Carter swiped so hard at his scar, he left angry, red prints. “Why won’t you admit it?!”
I ran from him.
“Belle!”
Thunderous footfalls chased me. I fled down the beach, tears frozen and snatched by the wind. I splashed in the shoreline and his grip seized me, spinning me around.
“He was there, Belle!”
“Carter!”
“He was real!” Huge, manic eyes filled my vision. “Tell me he was real!”
“He was!” The scream tore from my throat. “It all happened! Exactly how you remembered it! I lied, okay?! I lied!”
Carter staggered back like I struck him. Feet tangling, he tripped and fell in the surf. I dropped in front of him, taking his stricken face in my hands.
“I lied.” My voice was the barest croak fighting to be heard above the ocean. “That day your nanny took us to the park. We snuck away from her like we knew we weren’t supposed to do, and we went to the big rock where we weren’t supposed to go. I didn’t know we were being followed. That he had f-found me again.”
I stopped, taking in a shuddering breath. Carter was pale and immovable before me.
“When he appeared, emerging from the woods like creeping fog, I froze. I couldn’t speak even to tell you to run. He grabbed me and you flew at him. My best friend,” I whispered. “Trying to save me.”